Adjustable support for beds.



A. R. BARNETT. ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1911.

[NVENTOR Altomeyw W1 TNESSES A. R. BARNETT. ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED JARS, 1911.

1,008,107. Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA mNonRAPl-l (10-, WASHINGTON, 137 c.

UNTED srarns ATENT orrion ARTEUR R. BARNETT, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 3, 1911. Serial No. 600,537.

beds of the class set forth in my application for patent, Serial Number590,231, filed November 1, 1910, and designed particularly for use inconnection with beds, or the like, to afford readily operable means foradjusting the position of a patient.

The invention is not only especially useful in the association abovereferred to, but it involves peculiar adjusting mechanism for frameparts which may be utilized in providing an adjustablesupport applicableto davenports, lounges, chairs, etc.

The preferred construction of the invention and its merits andadvantages, are set forth specifically in the following detaileddescription, and in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sideelevation showing a partial view of a bed having the invention appliedthereto, the mattress and certain parts of the adjustable support beingbroken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate the same;Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary viewshowing an end portion of the adjustable support and adjusting mechanismcarried thereby; Fig. 4: is a top plan view showing more clearly theconnection between the central and end frames, and associated parts;Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through the adjusting mechanism.

The bed illustrated in the drawings may be of any conventional type andcomprises side rails 1.

The adjustable support constituting the essential feature of thisinvention consists of a central frame composed of side bars 2 and end ortransverse bars 3. The side bars 2 of the central frame are rigidlysecured to a casting 4 constituting a member of a ratchet mechanism,said cast-ing hav-.

ing spaced lugs 5 and 5 on its outer side adapted to be engaged with aside rail 1 of the bed. The lug 5 carries a clamping screw 6 forengagement with the side rail 1 in an obvious manner. The casting 4, oneof which is secured to each end of the side bars 2 of the centralsection of the adjustable support, is formed with a depending arm 4having at its lower end a socket 4 receiving and rigidly secured to anadjacent end of one of the transverse rods or bars of said frame. Saidcasting 4 is likewise formed with a toothed segment 7 integraltherewith, and a pivot member 8 projecting from the upper portion of thecasting, as shown clearly in Fig. 5. The pivot member Sis adapted tosupport in a pivotal manner the arm 9 having a bearing 9 intermediateits ends to receive the pivot member 8, the upper end of the arm 9 beingriveted or otherwise secured to the side of one of the U-shaped frames10 which are associated with and adjustably connected to the centralframe. A locking lever 11 is pivoted at one end, as shown at 12, to thelower end of the frame 9 and said locking lever comprises a lower curvedportion formed with a lateral tooth 13, or a number of teeth if desired,which normally engages the teeth of the segment 7 being held in suchengagement by a coiled spring 14, one end of which is connected. withthe lower portion of the lever 11 and the other end of which is attachedto the upper end of the arm 9. The lever 11 has an upwardly extendingend portion terminating just below the upper end of the arm 9 andconnected by a rod 15 to a link 16, said link being loosely or pivotallyattached at 17 to the corner or curved portion of the frame 10. Theouter end of the link 16 is preferably slotted for connection with therod 15 and with a second rod 18, the latter extending to a pulling lever19 pivoted between its ends, as shown at 20, to the outer portion of theframe 10. The rod 18 connects with the lower end of the lever 19 and theupper end of said lever has a ring 21 attached thereto, a handle 22being connected with Patented Nov. '7, 1911. I

the ring 21 by a flexible member 23. In order to dispose the tooth 13 ofthe lever 11 in a position adapted to readily engage the segment 7, themiddle portion of said lever is deflected outwardly as shown moreclearly in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The foregoing represents a brief description of the general arrangementof the central and end frames of the adjustable support of thisinvention and of one of the adjusting mechanisms comprised by the parts9, 11, 15, 18, 19 and 22 particularly.

F our of the above adjusting mechanisms are provided, one for each ofthe connected parts of the central and end frames, and establishing theconnection between said frames.

The adjusting mechanisms at one end of the central frame, or thoseconnected for cooperation with one end frame, are simultaneouslyoperable in that the handle 22 is connected by the members 23 with thepulling levers 19 on the two adjusting mechanisms coacting with each endframe. The handle 22 is designed to facilitate raising and lowering ofthe end frame 10 adjacent to which it is located. and said handle,simultaneous with the movement of the end frame, disengages the lockinglevers 11 of said frame from the cooperating segments 7.

Extending over the central and end frames of the adjustable support andsuitably attached thereto is a flexible mattress supporting member orspring 24:, the latter being made of woven wire as illustrated, orfabric, or similar material. Said spring supports the mattress 25, thelatter being connected thereto as shown at 26. The spring 24: isfurthermore connected by coiled springs 28 with the transverse bars 3 onthe central frame, said transverse bars being arranged just below thepivots 8 by which the end frames are connected to the central frame. Thecoiled springs 28 are provided to take up slack or looseness in thespring 24: when the latter is raised at its ends simultaneously withelevation of the end frames 10.

In order to sustain the spring 24: and mattress 25 at the centralportions thereof, or those portions above the central frame, it iscontemplated to provide a number of coiled springs 29, said springsbeing supported at their lower ends by means of longitudinal bars 30connecting the transverse bars 3 of the central frame, and thetransverse bars 31 connecting the longitudinal or side bars 2 of thecentral frame. The bars 30 and 31 cross one another as shown clearly inFigs. 2 and 4, and the upper ends of the springs 29 are attached in anysuitable manner to the material from which the spring 24. is made.Obviously, by reason of the provision of the springs 29 an auxiliaryyielding support is located on the central frame to support the centralportion of the spring 2 1, mattress 25 and body of the patient, saidauxiliary yielding support being especially advantageous to preventundesirable sagging of the parts 2 1 and 25 when the weight of theadjustable support is directed primarily to the central portion of thelatter. The transverse bars 31 have their opposite ends deflectedupwardly to the points of attachment with the sides 2 of the centralframe, as shown in Fig. 5. The end frames 10 may be readily raised orlowered so that their positions may be adjusted in order to project thesame above or below the side rails of the bed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An adjustable support for beds comprising a main frame consisting ofside bars, members rigidly secured to said side bars atcorresponding'ends and provided with integral downwardly extending arms,a transverse bar connecting said arms, said members having pivot membersprojecting inwardly therefrom and being formed also with integraldownwardly extending toothed segments between the pivot members and thetransverse bar, an end of the frame having arms at opposite sides formedwith bearings receiving the pivot members and projecting therefrom,locking levers pivoted at corresponding ends to the lower ends of thearms of the end frame and having lateral teeth projecting beneath andengageable with the toothed segments, springs connected with the lowerportions of said levers and with the upper portions of the arms of theend frame normally tending to hold the locking levers in cooperationwith the toothed segments, and operating devices arranged longitudinallyof the sides of the end frame and connected with the upper extremitiesof the locking levers.

2. An adjustable support for beds comprising a main frame consisting ofside bars, members rigidly secured to said side bars and formed withdepending arms, a transverse bar connecting the lower ends of said arms,pivot members projecting inwardly from the sides of said members, andtoothed segments formed integrally with said members between the pivotmembers and transverse bar, an end frame having arms at its oppositesides provided with bearings receiving the pivot members aforesaid andextending downwardly beyond said pivot members, locking levers pivotedat corresponding ends to the lower ends of the last mentioned arms, saidlocking levers being laterally deflected intermediate their ends andhaving teeth at said deflected portions adapted to project beneath andengage with the teeth of the adjacent segments, links loosely mounted onopposite side portions of the end frame, rods connecting the lock- Intestimony whereof I alfix my signature ing levers With one end ofadjacent links, in presence of tWo Witnesses. pull levers carried by theend frame, rods connecting said pull levers With the links ARTHUR R.BARNETT. 5 aforesaid, and a handle connected with the pull levers forsimultaneously actuating the Witnesses: same and for raising andlowering the end M. J. CURTIS,

frame. ISAAC ARCHSHOEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

